Restored habitat on private property not only creates better fishing, but also improved habitat for other plants and animals, cleaner water and air, and increased wildlife. Plus, with unique programs like Future Fisheries, state money combines with private funds to benefit both the public and the landowners. Too many buyers want to slice up the land like a pan of fudge brownies and resell it that way. What people like Kiesling and Sprague and Fay are doing is finding buyers like Dale Spartas and the guy on the Ruby who don’t need the land to turn a buck, but instead see the property as a chance to do something good for the land. Bottom line: these people are helping to keep condos and suburban sprawl off the riverbanks in western Montana and providing needed habitat and clean water.
While you may be uncomfortable with the idea of a wealthy fishing elite-with clean cuticles and hands as soft as dandelion heads-moving into traditional ranch land, it surely beats subdividing or throwing up an outlet mall. What remains to be seen is whether these “new ranchers” will stay enthused and engaged in ownership, or if they’ll get bored after a few years and leave, returning only for the fishing vacations that inspired them to come in the first place.
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